Tai beats Marin to win Singapore Open
Denmark claims both men’s, women’s doubles
SINGAPORE, April 16, (AFP): Tai Tzu Ying cemented her status as the world’s top female shuttler as she beat reigning Olympic champion and world number two Carolina Marin in straight games at the Singapore Open on Sunday.
World number one Tai took just 38 minutes to seal a clinical 21-15, 21-15 victory at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
It was Tai’s fifth consecutive Super Series title and her second victory over Marin in less than two weeks, having already triumphed at the Malaysian Open final.
The usually unflappable Marin had no answers to Tai’s excellent defensive work and quick smashes as the diminutive 22-year-old edged ahead at 13-10 and eventually took the first game.
The Spaniard still failed to find her rhythm in the second, as a composed Tai dictated the pace and saw out the game comfortably. Tai said she was pleased with her performance but unfazed by her Super Series streak.
“I know I wouldn’t be able to beat Marin easily, so I was very patient when playing with her. I felt that I played quite well today,” she told reporters.
“I think everyone around me is more concerned about these five titles. But for me, I just want to play well in every tournament.”
It was Tai’s first title in the city-state and she did not drop a game all tournament. In the men’s singles title, India’s B. Sai Praneeth beat compatriot Srikanth Kidambi 17-21, 21-17, 21-12 for the first Super Series title of his career.
Praneeth, the world number 30, said
Kings XI were tied down early by the left-arm spin of Shahbaz Nadeem (2-13) and later seamers Chris Morris (3-23) and Pat Cummins (2-23) picked up five wickets between them to restrict the opposition to 137-9.
No. 7 batsman Axar Patel top-scored with 44 before Morris clean bowled the left-hander off the last ball.
Both teams now have four points with two victories, but Daredevils have played one game less than Kings XI.
Earlier, Kolkta Knight Riders also successfully defended a total when they beat Sunrisers by 17 runs at Eden Gardens.
Knight Riders went top with three wins from four matches while Sunrisers lost their second successive match after back-to-back victories in the first two games.
Robin Uthappa (68) cashed in on a flurry of chances to strike a half century as Knight Riders successfully defended 172-6 against Sunrisers despite losing the toss.
Uthappa should have been out for a duck off the first ball he faced from Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3-20) but the umpire misjudged a thick edge and gave it not out.
Sunrisers got at least three more opportunities before Uthappa completed his half century but Shikhar Dhawan missed a runout and also dropped a catch. In between, Naman Ojha missed a stumping chance.
Uthappa added 77 runs with Manish Pandey (46) for the third-wicket stand off 52 balls before holing out in the deep in the 15th over. Uthappa faced 39 balls, hitting five fours and four sixes.
Sunrisers captain David Warner (26) and Dhawan put on 45 runs in the first six overs, but both departed by the 10th over with the total at 59.
Knight Riders’ decision to include Kuldeep Yadav ahead of leg-spinner Piyush Chawla paid off as the left-arm spinner bowled a steady spell of four overs for 23 runs and got the key wicket of Warner. Experienced Sunil Narine (1-18) also held down Sunrisers, who could only reach 155-6.
“A quality side would win from any
situation because the toss is not in your hand,” Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir said. “The wicket started gripping ... we knew Sunil and Kuldeep would come into play.”
Meanwhile, West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul proved age is no barrier to batting success as the 42-year-old made a painstaking 182 for Lancashire on Saturday’s second day of their County Championship clash with Surrey.
Already 85 not out overnight, the veteran left hander demonstrated the application that saw him score over 11,000 Test runs in a West Indies career spanning more than two decades as he anchored Lancashire’s first innings at The Oval.
Chanderpaul completed the 74th first-class century of his career before, after needing a runner following a thigh injury, he was eventually last man out after a marathon eight hours.